377 THE EMPRESS OF VANHEIM

That is one of the reason why he had been pretending to be timid all of these years. He did not want the Chancellor to see that he could fight

But this time, Edward believes that Aero had known certain things that he hid. 

If he did not, why would Aero not come back earlier and even hide himself from him? 

If he had returned, even though Karak would insist the Empire to give the Chancellor back to them, with the power of the Empire, how could Karak insist for too long?

It is not like the Chancellor couldn't clear his name by returning to the Empire. 

Instead, it could be argued that by returning to the Empire earlier, Aero could have dispelled a lot of the misinformation regarding the massacre of the Vlad family and once he took back control of the Six Councils, Aero could find more information more efficiently.

He didn't have to hide at all. 

The Chancellor had known something. He must have known something about him that made Aero not wanted to return.

It is more than just the Chancellor not wanting to owe anything to him. The Chancellor do not trust him

Of course in the past the Chancellor did not trust him either. 

But that was different. 

In the past, even though Aero did not trust the Emperor, he would not guard against the Emperor. Simply because he didn't believe the Emperor could harm him

Now, however, the Chancellor believe that Edward could harm him

Because the Emperor had bare his fangs and shows his claws and the Chancellor had seen through it. 

So, the timid cat act would not work again against the Chancellor.

Right now, probably everyone in the capital would have received the news. 

'What would all of those people hiding in the dark would do? The courtiers of the court… I wonder what their reaction would be?' he thought to himself.

Edward call upon the stewards. The stewards enter the throne room that is highly guarded by the imperial army and kneel upon seeing the Emperor.

Edward quickly said

'Pass my orders. Call all the minister to the court. There would be an emergency meeting today'

The steward nodded and answer the Emperor as they quickly went out from the throne room to quickly relay the orders to the ministers of the court.

The stewards all think that this relates to what happened on the western border. Inside the throne room, Edward come down from his throne room and walk out from his throne room

He needs to be prepared. 

Today, it would be a long day in the Empire.

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At the same time that a message arrived in that throne room, there is also another message arriving on the inner palace

Surrounding the residence is guards dressed in black armor and they stood among the many halls appearing like statues.

There were many palaces in this residence. This residence itself is one of the largest residence in the imperial palace.

This residence could be called one of the most luxurious and beautiful residence in the Empire. There are many gardens outside the main residence which is planted with all kinds of strange and unique flora.

There are also many vast fake mountains which cause this residence to appears extremely artistic and there is even a large pond filled with lotuses with a bridge constructed on top of it.

Those who passed over the bridge could see the many fishes that is swimming in the water. 

This is the residence of the Empress. 

To the people of the world the Emperor and the Empress was in good relations. Only those who in the know, knows that the relation between the husband and wife is not good and as cold as the winter snow. 

It has been years but there is still not an imperial heir.

They have never consummate their wedding since the day they got married. If Helena was any other woman, she would probably be punished.

But Helena herself has her own base of power in the court. 

There is also the fact that she has her brother Castor and Pollux beside her and the title as the daughter of King Vrandeus of Duvar.

The messenger pigeon directly enters the courtyard and fly toward the Empress room. This pigeon is different than the normal messenger pigeon. 

This pigeon is her own pigeon and she has her own intelligence channels.

One could say that the Emperor and the Empress seems to be even adversarial at times.

While the Empress power in the Imperial court is not as powerful as the Emperor, she could at least protect herself from the powers that be

And she also had the support of the Chancellor. She had been waiting for the news from the frontline since yesterday.

As soon as she heard the flapping of the wings of the pigeons she sat up from her seat and approached the pigeon that is standing on the table of her study, looking left and right, waiting.

She chuckles a bit and then she took the message tied on the pigeon feet and then read it. She smiles and nodded to herself

'Just as expected of the Chancellor. So, he would straight be going to the Veranis capital. Duvar then would be protected if he could arrive in a week' she thought to herself.

Helena had always admired the Chancellor. No, it could not be simply said that she admires him. She loves him.

But because of the fact that she is the Empress and knowing that she would implicate the Chancellor if she confesses to the Chancellor, she had always hide this feeling of hers.

There are too many things at stake here. Her matters are now the matters of the world and the same could be said for the Chancellor

And the Chancellor is not a dense person. 

If she ever shows some kind of feeling of love toward him, he would surely notice. But Aero had never discovered that the Empress of the Empire loves him.

That is simply because Helena is a great actress. She married a person she did not love because of her country and had to pretend to love the Emperor in public.

The Emperor himself did not love her and married her because he was ordered to. She could have loved Edward, of course. But he kept disappointing her.

It all started during that day when she was nearly assassinated and Aero come to her rescue. Since then, she had the longest crush toward the Chancellor

She only sighed.

'I hope my private army could help him take the capital faster' Helena has skin in the game. 

She sends some of her private army to rush ahead toward Duvar to help the military there and another toward Aero forces.

She understood what Aero is trying to do. 

She also read the report that Veva molarity had also move their army, no doubt they went straight toward Duvar. 

Duvar as a strategical position, connecting the road toward the East for Veva is something that Black Robe Prime Minister of Veva wanted badly.

If Duvar falls to Veva, one could guess the fate of her father. It is a race of time. It is clear that Eric would arrive first at Duvar. But it would take time for him to dismantle the defenses around the Duvar mountain passes.

Aero had won Duvar without spilling a blood. Such a thing would not be able to be repeated by Eric. Simply because Duvar and Veva have no relations and many of the officials of Duvar leaned toward the Imperial court 

The culture of Vanheim had seeped deep into Duvar and Helena was the one that spearheaded this effort.

Eric would find that he need to at least take a week before he could dismantle all the hidden forces all around Duvar and he still have to fight the army that is supplied by King James and the garrison of the city.

In that time span of one week, Aero must take the capital, secure his rear and then marches forward to Duvar and take control Duvar.

If Aero come to Duvar in that timespan, there is a good chance, that Eric had to retreat. 

That is the current situation. Eric could not waste too much time trying to take Duvar.

Coincidentally, both Eric and Aero right now is using speed to determine the victory of their forces.

Eric must take Duvar as fast as possible and Aero must take Veranis capital as fast as possible. They both are using speed to their advantage.

The Western kingdoms are all moving right now. 

Holy Zun is also moving towards Loth. 

Eric must have also calculated that. 

That is probably why he must take Duvar as fast as possible, put up his own garrison and fortify the bases around the mounting of Duvar and then quickly return back to Veva lands to make sure that the Church could not push further toward the North

And Veva had also had to watch out for Aerosia that had also move their army to the Redat region.

Speed would be the determining factor in this conflict between the Black Robed Prime Minister and the Chancellor of Vanheim.

Helena walk around in her office, pacing back and forth and then she decided that she needs to go out from the Palace.

She went to the stable and then with her retinue, she went out from the Palace. No one had manage to stop the Empress from exiting the Imperial Palace.

When the Emperor heard about his Empress went out from the Palace, he only frowned and ignore the news.

Edward had many other pressing concerns in his head right now. 

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